Popularity not enough to short cut procedure, De Lima lawyer told

Associate Justice Marvic Leonen. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Popularity of a person is not enough to short cut a procedure, Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said during the resumption of the oral argument on the petition of Senator Leila De Lima.

De Lima went to the Supreme Court asking that it nullify the findings of probable cause and the arrest warrant issued by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 Judge Juanita Guerrero.

The senator, through her counsel former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, said part of their petition to the Supreme Court is the persecution of the senator being the most vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In her pleading, she cited 37 statements made by Duterte against De Lima from Aug. 11 to Nov. 28, 2016.

“Aren’t all of these questions of fact?” Leonen asked.

“If we started to take judicial notice, we deprive the prosecutors from traversing [on] these allegations…Shouldn’t have this presented properly in your quashal of warrant before going directly to the [Supreme] Court,” Leonen told Hilbay.

Leonen asked Hilbay if they are creating a dangerous precedent by going straight to the high court instead of submitting their evidence to a lower court that is capable of receiving evidence.

“You see, we have been accused of many things like favoring big names,” Leonen said.

“Just because [she] is a very popular individual doesn’t mean that we should shortcut the procedure,” Leonen added./rga